This article is part of our FantasyDraft MLB series.
PITCHER
Danny Salazar, CLE at KC ($22,800): Salazar carries a little more risk than some of the other pitchers in this range because of his matchup, but the way he's been going lately, he also has an upside as high as anyone else. Salazar has recorded at least eight strikeouts in each of his past five starts while allowing more than one run just once in that san. The Royals have scored just one run in the first two games of this series, so if Salazar starts quickly, there's a good chance they start pressing.
Jacob deGrom, NYM vs. MIA ($24,600): I'm not that excited about the remaining options on the board, as they each have their faults. Gio Gonzalez has a long track record of being unreliable and Madison Bumgarner hasn't topped seven strikeouts since his return from the DL. That leaves me with deGrom, who has had plenty of issue of his own but his upside is higher than the other two guys and his matchup is fairly safe. The Marlins enter with a wOBA in the lower half of the majors and their K% is higher than average against righties this season.
INFIELD
Jake Lamb, AZ at MN ($9,000):Bartolo Colon's magic act looks to be coming to an end, as last time out the Indians got to him for three runs in five innings, but more telling were the 11 base runners allowed. It's just a matter of time before some team thrashes Colon and that very well could be the Diamondbacks. Arizona is a good stacking option, but they are often tough to stack due to their collective salaries. Lamb is much less expensive that Paul Goldschmidt, so I'll choose him in this spot to save some money.
Jose Altuve, HOU vs. OAK ($10,600): While I'll look to save money with Lamb, I'll have no problem paying up for Altuve against Jharel Cotton, who has a 5.83 ERA after allowing 23 runs in his last 25.2 innings. The Astros are the best stack on the board if you can find a way to fit them in under the cap. Altuve comes at a big price, but he's worth it thanks to his .421 wOBA against righties this season, which is top-10 in the majors.
Chase Headley, NYY at BOS ($7,200):Rick Porcello enters with a 4.59 ERA this season, and while he hasn't been terrible, he hasn't shown his form from last year very often. Meanwhile, Headley has been much better as a lefty this season, as seen with his .354 wOBA against right-handed pitching. Headley also has some solid career numbers against Porcello, hitting .429 with five extra-base hits in 28 at-bats.
OUTFIELD
Eddie Rosario, MN vs. AZ ($8,800):Braden Shipley takes the hill for the Diamondbacks, which puts the Twins in play for a stack. Shipley made just two starts prior to his demotion to the minors, and he returns with his 6.35 ERA. The Twins certainly have more potent bats than Rosario, but against a righty, there might not be anyone better, as he comes in with a team-high .371 wOBA against righties this season.
Max Kepler, MN vs. AZ ($8,800): As mentioned, with Shipley on the mound the Twins are one of the better stacking options, and luckily you can build a nice team without spending too much. Kepler, who has a .368 wOBA against righties, and Rosario are interchangeable in this spot, as they've both hit righties well this season..
Guillermo Heredia, SEA at TB ($6,300): It's going to be tough to stack some of these teams with high salaries, so finding guys like Heredia are key. Heredia has a .377 wOBA against lefties this season and the Mariners have a nice matchup against Blake Snell, who has a 4.78 ERA.
UTILITY
Mike Trout, LAA at BAL ($10,800): If you choose to fill your lineup with the lower-salaried guys from the preferred stacks, then you might have room for Trout. The Angels face Chris Tillman, who has been terrible this season, and while there could be a stack consideration, I prefer just to target Trout and his team-high .422 wOB against righties.
Nicky Delmonico, CHW at TEX ($7,200): Delmonico is tearing it up through 15 games (.501 wOBA against righties), and as long as he's in the middle of the order at a hitter-friendly park, there's no reason to avoid him. Delmonico is averaging 10.86 fantasy points per game, but his salary hasn't caught up yet. Factor in a favorable matchup against an average righty in A.J. Griffen and this gets even better.
